Introducing the Asia Pacific Morning Brief—your crucial summary of overnight crypto updates shaping local markets and global perspectives. Pour yourself a green tea and stay tuned.
Vietnam’s Da Nang has initiated Asia’s first FATF-compliant cryptocurrency payment sandbox, while Korea’s FSS examines Bithumb for defying orders to suspend lending services, illustrating regional regulatory differences.
Vietnam Unveils First FATF-Compliant Crypto Payment Pilot Program
Da Nang, Vietnam’s coastal tourism hub and third-largest economic center, has sanctioned the nation’s first blockchain payment pilot program. The Basal Pay initiative will evaluate cryptocurrency-to-fiat exchanges for international travelers. This marks Vietnam’s first fintech sandbox endeavor adhering to international compliance norms.
Created by AlphaTrue Solutions, the system enables rapid digital asset conversion. In comparison to traditional methods, the platform lowers transaction fees by approximately 30%. It fully complies with FATF Travel Rule standards for anti-money laundering.
The 36-month trial consists of five developmental phases conducted under city oversight. Vietnam ranks fifth globally in crypto adoption, with over 17 million users. This pilot could facilitate Vietnam’s removal from the FATF’s grey list.
Korea’s FSS Inspects Bithumb for Overlooked Regulatory Directives
South Korea’s Financial Supervisory Service commenced an on-site investigation of the Bithumb exchange. The cryptocurrency platform overlooked regulatory advisories to cease new crypto lending services. While its competitor Upbit halted its “coin borrowing” feature, Bithumb remained operational despite warnings.
BeInCrypto’s Asian Coverage
Asian cities vie for financial hub prominence as stablecoin regulations transform the regional monetary landscape.
Former Binance CEO CZ disclosed his advisory role to twelve governments regarding crypto policy, predicting a blend of AI and blockchain.
Korean industry figures called for expeditious stablecoin regulations, while the central bank opposes private token issuance.
The UAE government amassed 6,333 Bitcoin valued at $700 million through state-run mining operations.
Hong Kong is advancing RWA tokenization and ETF trading despite compliance costs surpassing $800,000.
North Korea’s Lazarus Group stole $1.6 billion in crypto during the first half of 2025.
Japanese brokerage Monex is contemplating the launch of a yen-pegged stablecoin secured by government bonds.
Former Bitmain executives have launched B Strategy, targeting a $1 billion BNB treasury with CZ’s support.
More Highlights
Donald Trump Jr. invested tens of millions in Polymarket while advising competitor Kalshi since January.
Ethereum may face a decline to $4,000 as investors offloaded $2.3 billion worth.
Bitcoin is targeting a support range of $100,000-$107,000 after 94% of traders recently faced liquidation.
AI tokens fell over 7% following Musk’s lawsuit against Apple and OpenAI for billions.
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